RasenBallsport Leipzig – Borussia Dortmund: Leipzig intensity showcases their intent to defend their DFB-Pokal title (2-0)

If the narrative following Dortmund’s Der Klassiker defeat in the Bundesliga this past weekend centered around their inability to handle pressure, the post-match narrative of their exit from the DFB-Pokal will revolve around their inability to handle Leipzig’s intensity. 
Tactical analysis and match report by Nick Smoothy.

Both teams came into this quarter-final on the back of defeats. Borussia Dortmund’s loss was perhaps the more bruising but with RB Leipzig on a three game losing streak, each side not only had the motivation to progress into the semi-finals but also get back to winning ways.

Leipzig have featured in three of the last four DFB-Pokal finals and last season won the competition for the first time in their history. Manager Marco Rose set out to defend their trophy by making four changes from their 3-0 home defeat to FSV Mainz 05 on the weekend. In came Mohamed Simakan, David Raum, Amadou Haidara and Dani Olmo to join Janis Blaswich, Benjamin Henrichs, Willi Orbán, Joško Gvardiol, Konrad Laimer, Dominik Szoboszlai and Timo Werner in the starting lineup.

Edin Terzić also made changes to his side from the previous weekend. Three to be exact, with Mats Hummels and Donyell Malen replacing the injured duo of Nico Schlotterbeck and Sébastien Haller and Salih Özcan stepping in for the not fully fit Jude Bellingham. The trio of new starters were joined by Gregor Kobel, Hannes Wolf, Niklas Süle, Julian Ryerson, Emre Can, Raphaël Guerreiro, Julian Brandt and Marco Reus.

Leipzig come flying out of the traps
If the atmosphere inside the Red Bull Arena was not indication enough to the Dortmund players that . . .